Are you getting the most bang out of your firm’s website? Whether prospective clients find you through Google or through a referral, an effective website could make or break the formation of a new relationship.

Here’s a checklist* to use for a site check-up:

• Optimize SEO. Be sure that relevant key words that search engine users may be typing into Google appear in the content of your web pages. This includes the city you’re based in and the key services you offer. To do a more in-depth SEO optimization of your content, you can use Google’s Keyword Planner.
• Include contact info on every page. Make it easy for site visitors to know how to reach you from wherever they may end up on your site. One simply way to do this is to include phone number, email, hours and address (if applicable) in a footer that appears below the content of every page.
• Include a call to action. Don’t leave site visitors guessing as to next steps in engaging your services. Whether it’s “Give us a call at ____,” “Fill out this intake form,” “Subscribe to our newsletter” or another call to action, be sure it’s explicit and clearly visible on your site. Including it in the footer alongside contact info is a strong option.
• Keep info up to date. Firm life is busy – we get it. But be sure that someone on your team is keeping the information and resources on your site up to date. This demonstrates to site visitors that you’re still active and generally on top of things.
• Flex your knowledge. Keeping your blog active with posts that show off your team’s knowledge. These can cover common questions or themes that come up in preliminary client conversations. This immediately offers value to potential clients and positions your firm as a knowledgable authority on the topics/services they have questions about. Another way to flex your knowledge is to create free downloadable resources and have them live on your site.
• Check your links. Ensure that all internal or external links work!
• Include testimonials. Either on your homepage or an a designated page, include testimonials from existing clients. These could be the exact social proof that site visitors need to prompt them to contact to you. If they grant you permission, including photos of these clients alongside their quotes is a good way to further humanize these testimonials.
• Check mobile version of your site. Double check that your site looks as snazzy on mobile and tablets as it does on a desktop. If the format is askew at all, consider taking some time to spruce up these alternative views.
• Claim your listing. If you have a physical location, ensure that you claim your Google Maps listing to increase exposure. Even if someone isn’t looking for a CPA at that moment, they’ll see you on their map and, hopefully, keep you in mind for when they are.

*Check out the original articles which inspired this checklist: this article from Architechs for the Web and this article from CPA Practice Advisor.

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